The field of the invention is apparatus and methods for making, assembling and constructing structures such as dwellings or the like. It is expected that the 21st century will see a severe shortage of housing, especially low income housing. This shortage is expected to be even more acute for those living in poverty conditions and for persons in need of homeless shelters in urban areas of the industrialized world. There is a need for smaller and more affordable housing, including housing for needy persons seeking shelter or refuge. The positive effect adequate shelter has on a human being is obvious.
There is also a need for housing that is less expensive and longer lasting. Most U.S. dwellings are made of wood frame construction. This includes wood beams, wood columns and plywood that is nailed, strapped and bolted together using a series of studs and plates. Standard wood frame construction has many problems and consequently, has spawned a number of industries to cope with pest control, fire control, sound control and energy control, among others. The net effect of this is to increase the cost of home ownership, including homeowners"" insurance. These costs can be viewed as wasted funds that could be redirected into income producing efforts. It is estimated that U.S. families spend a tremendous amount of money on this type of home protection compared to their counterparts elsewhere.
Insulated concrete forms, or xe2x80x9cICFxe2x80x9d, uses foam blocks which are filled with concrete and steel. This process works on walls, not on ceilings, and most importantly, it requires carving passages into the foam material for conduits and the like. Another construction material is pre-cast concrete, which has been in existence for a long time. Some pre-cast concrete designs allow for grout or pipe openings however, no system is known to exist which is designed to encompass the requirements of a dwelling or similar structure.
Cast-in-place systems are also used. This process is the most common method of construction in Europe and South America. In this process, all foundations, floors, beams and ceilings are made of poured in place concrete. Walls are added later by using bricks or blocks which are later finished with plaster. The xe2x80x9ctilt-upxe2x80x9d method of construction casts concrete walls in place using embedded attachments for wooden or metal roofs. When cured, the walls are tilted upward into place. This method is prevalent in industrial building applications.
Another well known method uses what is known as hollow core panels having a series of parallel cells. These conventional panels are mostly used as floor planks in high rise buildings. The conventional process to manufacture these uses a long bed, 500 feet or longer typically, which looks like an airport runway. The conventional hollow core panels are cast on the long bed with the equipment, materials and personnel moving along the bed as the hollow core panels are formed in a continuous span. The continuous span of hollow core panels never moves until it is cut up and loaded for transport to the installation site. This procedure includes a significant amount of down time, due to time lost to transportation of personnel and materials. Cavities conventionally have been created in structural panels in a variety of ways, including using inflatable tubes or augers. All these techniques have met with limited success.
The present invention is a solution to many of the problems associated with conventional apparatus and systems. In one embodiment, the invention combines pre-cast systems with cast-in-place systems creating a structure that is stronger, longer lasting, non-flammable and extremely resistant to bio-degradation. The invention creates both access to, and interconnection of, electrical lines and plumbing throughout an entire structure. It also eliminates most of the drilling necessary by skilled tradesmen, such as electrical work and plumbing work. It provides access to electrical and plumbing circuits and easy access to such systems for repair, maintenance and upgrading. The inventive panel can be made in a production line, allowing personnel, equipment and materials to remain in a specific location while the panel travels through the manufacturing process.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus and methods for making a useful panel made of a cementitious material, or other material, for walls, ceilings, roofs and foundations for dwellings or the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide improved methods of construction using panels of the type shown and described herein.
It is an object of the invention to utilize a novel combination of pre-cast and cast-in-place concrete with a series of interconnected reinforced posts and beams to provide a stronger structure.
It is an object of the invention to provide a monolithic structure so that in the case of terrain slippage, the structure would move as a complete unit, minimizing or eliminating breakage into pieces.
It is an object of the invention to provide permanent access to wiring and pipes through a removable plate on the wall of a structure.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel system of permanent passages in a structure to permit the placement of, and later access to, plumbing, electrical, telephone, television, heating ducts and other circuits and services without the need to tear down walls or drill conduit passage holes.
It is an object of the invention to provide methods to access plumbing and electrical circuits in a structure to construct, maintain or upgrade them.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for transferring shear forces across ceiling and floors in a structure to create a diaphragm.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel structure for dwellings and the like that is non-flammable, not attacked by pests, is bullet proof and flood resistant.
Other and further objects will appear to those skilled in the art from the specification and drawings.